In the hamlet of Tarouiste, in the Atlas mountain foothills above the town of Amizmiz, not one of a dozen houses was left standing. Only the mosque was not reduced to rubble.
With the first international search and rescue teams finally deploying to the worst-affected areas on Monday, after a disaster that has claimed at least 2,800 lives, it was clear that the window to find anyone alive beneath the rubble was rapidly closing.
As relief efforts stepped up, the Guardian visited a series of mountain villages that had been almost entirely destroyed, where residents said they felt they had been abandoned.
In Tarouiste, people described how they had been left to carry the dead bodies of six neighbours down the mountain where they were met by private cars, as no ambulances or other government aid had yet reached them.
"No one has come to help us," said Hassan al-Mati, whose mother was one of those who died, with frustration in his voice. "We need trucks to come to help us move the dead animals buried in the rubble. We need tents and food. We feel like we have been abandoned.
"Six people died in this village and six others were injured. We had to carry them down to the river where we could take them to the hospital in cars."
Like many across these mountains, the villagers of Tarouiste were now sleeping in the open. Hassan took the Guardian to meet his family, who were sitting on carpets shaded from the sun by sheets stretched on wooden poles.
Two of the children had uncovered wounds on their faces where they had been hit by falling debris. Two of the women were still visibly in shock.
Denne historien er fra September 15, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra September 15, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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